Education
Education

Georgia colleges: Businessman gives Paine College $1 million

Donation a major boost for Augusta-based HBCU

Paine College, just a few miles from the famous Augusta National Golf Club, is in peril. Enrollment has declined by more than 50 percent since 2010, and its six-year graduation rate is 22 percent, according to federal data. It’s in a yearlong legal battle with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to keep its accreditation. Paine College President Jerry Hardee, though, tells an upbeat story.
By
May 3, 2018

An Augusta businessman on Wednesday gave Paine College $1 million, a major boost to keep the financially struggling school in business.

Peter Knox, managing partner of Knox Equity, delivered a check to the Augusta college’s president, Jerry Hardee, at a news conference Wednesday. Knox donated $1 million to the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University in January and is credited with helping save the city’s historic Miller Theater, according to published reports.

Paine College had a $10 million shortfall in 2014, court records show. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools put Paine on probation that year and later tried to pull its accreditation. Unaccredited schools aren't eligible for federal student aid, and degrees conferred may carry no weight with employers or graduate schools. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently reported on Paine's challenges as part of its series on Historically Black Colleges & Universities.

Hardee, who became Paine’s president last year, has worked with board members and community leaders on an ambitious fundraising and strategic plan to keep the 425-student college afloat and resolve its issues with SACS. Its supporters include DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, a Paine graduate and the college’s current board chairman, and U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.

About the Author

Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.

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